$100 million new gift from Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones for future children’s pediatric campus
Leave it to UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) and Children’s Health to not only break ground for its future Children’s pediatric campus, but to add a spectacular cherry to top off the occasion. That’s exactly what just happened this week.
Learning that generous philanthropists Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones had stepped up to support the $5B project for the 4.7M-square-foot complex made the shoveling of dirt so much easier under October’s blue skies.
Thanks to the Rees-Joneses and their $100M contribution, along with others, the two 12-story towers and an 8-story tower will provide inpatient, surgical and ambulatory capacity to meet the growing needs of one of the fastest-growing and largest metropolitan areas in the country.
Following the announcement of their gift, Jan said, “We are grateful for our strong relationship with Children’s Health and UT Southwestern, two organizations that align with our interest in providing quality medical care to those in our community most in need, particularly our children and youth suffering from various medical conditions. Our family is thankful to be involved in building the new Dallas pediatric hospital and campus, a facility that will change lives both in our community and around the world.”
This is far from the first gift that Jan and Trevor have made to support North Texas healthcare. In addition to giving more than $10M to UTSW since 2016 “to support programs aimed at identifying risk for depression and mood disorders in youth and building mental health resilience,” their Rees-Jones Foundation established the Rees-Jones Center for Foster Care Excellence in 2012 as “the only clinic in North Texas to treat the unique physical and emotional needs of children and youth who have experience with the child welfare system.”
The foundation’s previous donations to Children’s Health in support of the Center have exceeded $35 million, providing care for more than 2,000 children annually.
As Children’s Health President/CEO Christopher Durovich said, “For more than 110 years Children’s Health, together with our 60-year partners at UT Southwestern, have sought to provide the best care available to the families of North Texas. Today, as we prepare for the tremendous growth in the area’s pediatric population, through this new pediatric campus we are reaffirming our promise that every child in this community will have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, no matter the challenges they face. This new Dallas campus will be a beacon of hope and healing for our children today — and for generations to come.”
Located at the corner of Harry Hines Boulevard and Paul Bass Way, across from UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, this incredible undertaking will provide healthcare for the area’s “pediatric population [that’s] expected to double by 2050.”
As UTSW President Dr. Daniel Podolsky explained, “Today marks an important milestone for UT Southwestern and our longstanding partner Children’s Health, as we endeavor to set a new standard for excellence in pediatric health care, education, and research. This transformative project follows years of careful consideration and collaboration, and it positions us to more effectively meet the needs of our growing community and provide the best environment possible for the care of pediatric patients and support of their families.”
In recognition of the gift, the pediatric central hospital tower will be named the Rees-Jones Tower and will serve as the main hospital entrance, house the lobby and provide patient room and unique amenities for patients and their families.
Following the Jean and Mack Pogue family $100M gift announced this past May, the news of the Rees-Jones gift not only shows the generosity of North Texas families but demonstrates the importance of philanthropic investment in future generations of North Texans.